Bear Digest

Numerous Messages Indy Sent to Bears

Analysis: The scouting combine produced information about the athletic skills of the talent pool in this draft for the Bears at their need positions.
Gene Chamberlain|
Numerous Messages Indy Sent to Bears
Numerous Messages Indy Sent to Bears

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Chicago Bears

Remember, the NFL scouting combine is more about athletic performance and interviews than it is about determining how anyone plays football.

And it's certainly not determining who gets drafted. The fun has just begun in this regard.

If you think draft pick analysis is over, there's still more than a month of pro days coming and players will make their "top-30" visits to teams, as well.

So the fun will go on and on along with the endless speculation over what the Bears can get for trading Justin Fields, or if they will.

What the combine did do was establish some parts of players' resumes for their potential bosses.

Here's what the Bears should learn from this combine.

1. Caleb Williams Confidence

He's definitely comfortable in the spotlight. His press conference proved it. When GM Ryan Poles talked about what he looks for from a quarterback one aspect was handling pressure but not just pass rush pressure.

"How do they handle pressure? How do they handle pressure in a big city like ours?" Poles said.

Williams appeared to be running the combine more than he seemed to give an interview. He was even down on the field at the end of the Saturday workouts congratulating Xavier Worthy on his 4.21-second 40 time and thanking workers.

He'll need this type of leadership if he's at Halas Hall in a locker room with veterans used to Fields being their leader.

2. Edge of Dominance

The Bears are not facing a situation at No. 9 where it's one choice or they move back, by any means. Combine work showed how pass rushers Jared Verse and Dallas Turner would be worth taking at this spot if they are unable to pull in one of the flashy top three wide receivers.

Dallas Turner probably did more overall to show he's a pass rush force for more defensive schemes with a 4.46 seconds for the 40 and a wide receiver-style vertical leap of 40.5 inches. He ran a faster 40 time than all defensive linemen and every linebacker except North Carolina State's off-ball linebacker Payton Wilson (4.43).

The 6-foot-4 Verse probably showed he is more of an all-around edge with good 4.58 speed, an excellent 35-inch vertical to go with 33 1/2-inch arms, but also 31 reps in the bench press at 225 pounds. Only one defensive player, LSU defensive tackle Jordan Jefferson (34), did more. Verse did 10 more than Montez Sweat did at his combine in 2019. Of course, Sweat ran faster than both Turner and Verse in the 40, at a ridiculous 4.41 seconds.

3. Depth for Dealing Down

The Bears could easily trade the ninth pick and still come up with players equal athletically if not in football skill. If their hearts are set on a wide receiver to team with Caleb Williams and DJ Moore, and the top three are gone, they could find extra picks and move back for Brian Thomas Jr. from LSU. At 6-3, 209, he had a 38.5-inch vertical leap and ran the second-fastest time among receivers at the combine in 4.33 seconds. He's not a player with past production flaws like the combine's fastest man, Xavier Worthy. Thomas led the country in touchdown catches last year with 17.

It doesn't stop there as Texas' Adonai Mitchell didn't prove he was faster than teammate Worthy, as he'd hoped, but he wasn't far off at 4.34 seconds. NFL Network did an overlay or "simulcam" of the runs by A.J. Brown and Julio Jones in their combine 40s and Mitchell was well ahead of them. Among the strengths scouts saw for him were contested catches. This figures as he had a 39 1/2-inch vertical plus a phenomenal 11-foot-4 broad jump. And at 6-2, 205, he isn't much shorter than Thomas and had 11 TD receptions in 2023.

They could also trade back and confidently get an edge rusher who can help immediately based on the combine work and college production. Penn State's Chop Robinson came in with a 4.48 in the 40, just behind Turner, and is a player NFL.com analyst Lance Zierlein said is comparable athletically to Micah Parsons and Myles Garrett.

If they didn't want to go by combine testing and merely football skill, it's possible to move back and get UCLA's 6-5, 259-pound Laiatu Latu, who ran a respectable 4.64 40 but more importantly had 23 1/2 sacks the last two seasons.

4. Quarterback-Receiver Glut

The number of receivers and quarterbacks testing well or being rated highly is doing something besides enticing GMs and offensive coordinators. It's forcing players down the board at other need positions the Bears have.

With safety and center high among Bears needs, the more QBs they talk about in Round 1—and there are many who saw at least five and possibly six who should get into the top 32—and with wide receivers in abundance, both center and safety become lower priority across the league and there could be better players there if the Bears can come up with a Round 2 pick (hint, through a Justin Fields trade). When there are numerous receivers and quarterbacks in Round 1, it also means a mad scramble at the picks not devoted to those positions for pass rushers and cornerbacks. There will always be tackles taken in Round 1 because of how the position is valued.

It's pushing safeties and centers back to the Bears.

Both Georgia safeties came out of the combine looking like strong athletic choices besides being effective in coverage. Tykee Smith ran 4.46 and Javon Bullard 4.47 in the 40.

The safety testing in general showed great depth athletically.

Dadrian Taylor-Demerson from Texas Tech ran 4.41 seconds and displayed good hands in the on-field drills. Washgington's Dominique Hampton and Washington State's Jaden Hicks both rated high in the three-cone drill.

Auburn's Jaylin Simpson had outstanding testing but probably showed he might be better as a slot cornerback with 4.45-second speed and only weighing 179 pounds.

5. Backfield Speed

Only three of the running backs testing came in under 4.4 seconds and the Bears would be looking for a speed back for third downs or as a breakaway threat. Tennessee's Jaylen Wright was extremely impressive at 4.37 seconds, and at 5-10 1/2, 210, with a 38-inch vertical and outstanding 11-foot-2 broad jump, he showed the quick-twitch explosiveness to be a starter, let alone a contributor.

Louisville's Isaac Guerendo showed he must be taken seriously at 6-foot, 221 but with blazing wide receiver type speed (4.33). The Wisconsin transfer also showed he could be of help as a receiver with a 41 1/2-inch vertical to go with his good height. He didn't get as much work in college as many backs due to crowded backfield situations, so he definitely has more tread left on the tires.

Florida State's 6-foot, 216-pound Trey Benson put up a 4.39-second effort that had NFL Network's Daniel Jeremiah comparing him to Breece Hall.

The work at the combine didn't show much for those who would be only considered third-down style players but did give better impressions of all-around types who could contribute as parts of a backfield committee.

6. Injury Updates

Center Zach Frazier from West Virginia showed everyone he's back from a leg surgery that ended his college career. It wasn't even certain he would participate at the combine but he did and displayed the mobility he had in college. He's not 100% yet but expects to be by pro day. 

Frazier met with the Bears and Dallas, among others and gave a rather direct description of his playing style to combine reporters.

"Physical," he said. "My goal is to put people on the ground. And then level-headed: I have to make all the calls and study throughout the week."

The other injury situation coming out of the combine was the stress fracture discovered in Ainais Smith's shin. The Texas A&M wide receiver learned at the combine he has the injury.

This is always a red flag from a Bears standpoint. 

Remember Kevin White.

 Twitter: BearDigest@BearsOnMaven

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Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.

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